#The soap opera serial#

It was followed by “People’s Paths” on CBS in January 1931, and then by three more CBS serials. The first radio soap opera was “Painted Dreams,” which debuted on Chicago’s NBC Blue Network in November 1930.

#The soap opera serial#

On radio and TV in America, daytime serial dramas were called soap operas because the earliest shows were sponsored by soap-powder manufacturers, who advertised their products directly to viewers. In 1943, Procter & Gamble tried again with another radio serial called “The Guiding Light.” In 1938, Procter & Gamble sponsored a new radio show called “Bold Venture.” It also had a serialized storyline involving Jim and Mary Barton as well as characters named Doc Roberts and his daughter Sally. It was quickly followed by “Ma Perkins” in 1932, which told the story of a widowed dressmaker in a small Indiana town.īoth shows became popular with their listeners, but it wasn’t until later in the decade that soap operas became widely popular on radio. It told the story of a couple, Jim and Mary Barton, who got married and struggled to make ends meet. The first soap opera was “Painted Dreams,” which aired on Chicago radio station WGN in 1931. Larson, who wrote and produced “The Guiding Light.” The name is meant to suggest that soap operas are boring the play on words suggests that people can’t get enough of them. The term “soap opera” was created by Glen A. Often sponsored by consumer goods companies, they were designed to sell products to audiences. The first soap operas were radio dramas that originally aired in the early twentieth century. Popular Latin American soap operas include Yo soy Betty la fea (“I am Betty, the ugly one”) and Rosario Tijeras (“Rosario blades”). Some notable US soap operas include All My Children and One Life to Live. The different types of storylines can vary greatly however, they all revolve around key elements such as love and romance. Soap operas use a combination of new storylines and musical pieces to communicate their message to viewers. Soap operas also tend to feature more humor than other dramas. Meanwhile, Latin American soap opera focuses on middle-class characters and themes of social change.

The North American or US soap opera tends to focus on younger characters (in their 20s or 30s) who are involved in relationships or family affairs. Today’s soaps, like General Hospital, have large casts and tackle social issues as well as family stories. Soap operas have been around for over 80 years, but their format has changed considerably over time.Įarly soaps, like Guiding Light (which aired both on radio and television) had relatively small casts and focused exclusively on family stories. The term stuck, even after television assumed the mantle of America’s favorite source of home entertainment.

The term “soap opera” was coined by the American press in the 1930s to describe the original radio dramas that were sponsored by soap companies. Soap operas are television dramas about the private and personal lives of a group of characters. WHAT IS A SOAP OPERA What Is A Soap Opera?